Kerry Healey for National Committeewoman’s Statement of Candidacy

I’ve spent the vast majority of my weekend a wee bit under the weather & in bed. However, I received this email in my inbox and figured I’d share with everyone else for the sake of discussion.

Dear State Committee Member,

I am writing today to tell you that I have decided to run for National Committeewoman, and to ask you, once again, for your support. I will be reaching out to you by phone in the next few days and I look forward to those conversations.

Over the last 15 years, I have had the honor of working with many of you on my own campaigns, as well as efforts to elect more Republicans to the MA Legislature, Scott Brown’s historic victory, Charlie Baker’s gubernatorial bid and Governor Romney’s two presidential runs. I know how deeply and sincerely you care about the future of our party and appreciate and understand the challenges facing our candidates, and our country, in this election year.

I’d like to congratulate you on your recent election to the State Committee. In Massachusetts, our Republican State Committee always has a tradition of vigorous debate and differences of opinion, but in the end, we stand united for the principles of limited and more efficient government, lower taxation and personal responsibility. We are proud to be Conservatives in the Bluest State and to hold the Democrats to account, even when the voters decline to do so. I have enormous respect for State Committee members because of the hours of selfless work and dedication you devote to grassroots politics. Our party, and this state, would be adrift without you.

I know how hard you work, because I got my political start on State Committee, running for an open seat after an unsuccessful bid for State Representative in the 6th Essex district in 1998. I ran because I felt Republicans were losing ground in MA and that the only body which could truly change the disastrous course we were on was the Republican State Committee. I was honored to be elected Chairman in 2001, and am proud to have taken the State Party from bankruptcy — burdened with debt and plagued by lawsuits over unpaid bills — to solvency and political success, capped with the nomination of Governor Romney. It was an incredible honor to be elected Lieutenant Governor and to serve the people of Massachusetts with Governor Romney.

During our four years in office, Governor Romney and I balanced four budgets and turned a $3 billion deficit into a $2 billion surplus without raising taxes. We battled the Democratic super majority on Beacon Hill to fight for common-sense conservative priorities, including 19 tax cuts. Drawing on my background as a consultant to the US Department of Justice, I led efforts to combat drunk driving and increase penalties for perpetrators of child abuse, gang violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence. I fought for pension reform, charter schools and preserving jobs in the fishing industry.

I ran for Governor in 2006 to build upon that record of success. While electoral defeat is always difficult and humbling, it in no way diminished my belief that our Party’s conservative, fiscally-responsible policies are needed on Beacon Hill. Traveling to every corner of the state during my campaign, talking to citizens about the issues that matter to them and meeting our dedicated Republican activists and elected officials remain among the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have never for a moment regretted the effort and I thank those who campaigned alongside me for their sacrifices on my and the Party’s behalf.

Since 2006, I have continued to fight hard for Republican causes and to help Republican candidates. I have assisted Governor Romney on foreign and domestic policy issues in both of his campaigns for President and traveled the country and beyond– to Israel, Europe and Afghanistan –as a surrogate and campaign adviser. I stood with Scott Brown at his kick-off press conference in September 2009; I believed in him then and I believe in him now. I backed Charlie Baker, and have continued to support and fundraise for Republican candidates up and down the ballot.

Outside of politics, I lead a non-profit working in Afghanistan to promote rule of law and respect for the rights of women. This work has provided me a renewed appreciation and profound sense of gratitude for the benefits that we all enjoy in America and sometimes take for granted. Seeing first-hand the horrors of Islamic extremism has galvanized my determination to work and fight for the principles that we share as Americans: democracy, rule of law, freedom of religion and expression, and respect for individual rights.

Through both my political and non-political experiences, I have developed a strong network in both Massachusetts and Washington, DC, that I will leverage as National Committeewoman on behalf of Massachusetts Republicans. As a former member of the RNC, I will be able to hit the ground running and apply the experience and fortitude gained from years in the political arena to the tasks of electing Republicans and strengthening the foundation of our Party for future success. I will fight for the best interests of Massachusetts and of our candidates and will work cooperatively with our National Committeeman, Ron Kaufman, whom I have known and respected since he supported me in my first State Representative race.

The stakes this year are high. We must reelect Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate, we must defeat Barack Obama, and we must elect Republicans to the Massachusetts Legislature and the U.S. Congress. My personal dream is to deliver Massachusetts for Mitt Romney in November, just like we voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984. I believe it can be done. Working together with you, I will draw on my experience as a candidate, an elected official and a party leader to ensure we are victorious in November.

Thank you for your consideration and support for our Republican Party. It would be an honor to work with the Massachusetts State Committee again.